ARCHJourney
by atoafriend
Summary: ARCH: a mysterious artifact that is the key to obtaining everything and nothing. Who are these two strangers? AND WHY ARE THEY SO FAMILIAR…? Full summary inside.
1. Chapter 1

_A year after the Visorak were defeated and the Matoran awakened, life for the Toa Metru is finally settling down, even if the security is dripping with paranoia and memories are still fresh in everyone's mind. Then two strangers are found stranded in the city, both with pasts as mysterious as their mission and resemblance to some people the Toa know very well. As one revelation is uncovered after another, they are all inevitably wound into the twisting quest for the ARCH: a mysterious artifact that is the key to obtaining everything and nothing._

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Well, here it is: my NEW n' ORIGINAL Bionicle fanfic! To be honest, I have absolutely NO idea where this storyline is going...but hopefully as I go, great ideas will shower upon me from the heavens and...yeah... -.-

Presenting, my two all-purpose OCs Orochi and Kami, in their Bionicle/Toa incarnations! They'll be cropping up everywhere in my works, 'cause I need something to keep me anchored in keeping people in-character and these two will give me room for my imagination to let out stuff that will definitely be OOC in anyone else.

This AU story ARCH will take place post-Visorak war (roughly one year), where everyone was awakened and remained on Metru Nui and the Toa Metru still retain their power under Turaga Dume. It will be presented (hopefully) in two parts: Journey and Destiny (I'd love to do a 3-part story with "Unity, Duty, and Destiny"...but alas, I'm afraid my lack of a life isn't QUITE that impressive).

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

_- - - {ARCH, Part I: "Journey" - **Chapter 1, the triggering domino**}_

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

He couldn't see anything. It was pitch-black, everywhere. And the silence; so strong, it hurt. "Hello...?" The Toa of Fire's voice echoed forlornly in the space around him. He tried turning around, but everything was the same: black. He wasn't even sure if he was moving at all. "Hello...?"

He felt a hand on his shoulder and he whipped around with a jolt. Nobody. Nothing was there, except himself. But he could still feel that hand on his armor. "Who's there?" he ventured.

"...it's time," a cool voice said. There was something oddly familiar about it: a pang of fondness went through Vakama's chest at the sound of it. "It's time, time to wake up...hurry, and wake up."

"But I am awake," he tried to say, but he wasn't sure if he spoke the words or thought them.

"Wake up."

"I am awake!"

"Wake up!"

And suddenly he found himself standing in front of a glass pane. Vakama blinked at the sudden presence of light coming from the mirror in front of him that stretched on forever into the darkness. He could see his familiar reflection: the Great Kanohi of Concealment, the golden-green eyes, the red armor...

"No," he whispered, stepping closer to get a better look. Sure enough, the armor in the reflection wasn't red: it was black. And the eyes...they were a pale blue behind the golden Huna. 'That's not me...that's not me...'

"Wake up!"

'Who is that? What are they doing here? And who is that voice?' Vakama's mind reeled as the hand on his shoulder squeezed harder.

"WAKE UP. NOW."

Eyes behind the golden mask opened slowly, then closed again. She was shining a lightstone in his face.

"Ah, see? You're awake; now, UP." Her hand shook him one last time before she removed it and the lightstone, leaving him to his groggy mind. He allowed himself one more moment with his eyes closed to gather his thoughts before sitting up. Another deep breath and a small stretch, and he was wide awake.

"You wake up so quickly for such a heavy sleeper," the onyx and ivory being nearby said, shaking her head as she brought in a pitcher of water. "Next time I might need a Tahtorak to wake you up, Kami!"

Blue eyes turned to look at her magenta ones. "I heard you, Orochi," Kami said. "You were making quite a racket in my dream."

"Then wake up faster," Orochi replied, getting up to put her sleeping mat in order.

"It was that same one as before."

Orochi paused to look at him. "The one with the mirror?" she asked with a raised ridge on her ebony Kualsi.

"Yes. It was just me, the mirror, and someone else...the red Toa with a Huna, like mine. His armor looked unique to the north," Kami recalled, remembering the complex but practically-designed armor the Toa wore.

Orochi thought for a moment, then sighed and shook her head. "Let's not think about it too much, Kami. We'll have enough to worry about once we arrive at Metru Nui." Kami nodded. She was right: Metru Nui was a chaotic place, from what he understood; so very different, so very CIVILIZED, than his quite home back on Shira Nui. Not that Shira Nui was UN-civilized: it was just more quiet, more peaceful. Big cities were so full of crime and corrupt order, no wonder all the stories about "Toa, gone wrong" were about Toa from the north. Following Orochi's suit, Kami folded up his sleeping mat and joined her on the boat's deck to watch the "twin suns" rise and illuminate the skyline of Metru Nui.

"Two suns..." Kami mused. "On Shira Nui there was only one: a golden chariot pulled by flaming horses."

"There's an obscure local legend on the twin suns," Orochi said. "That they're the eyes of Mata Nui, watching their every move...creepy, huh? To have something just WATCHING you all the time during the day? No wonder shady beings like the night," Orochi continued, stretching back to recline on the deck.

Kami shrugged. "Excellent was to scare Matoran, I suppose," he said. "Make them think twice about their moves and motives, because their deity is watching them."

Orochi remained silent for a moment. "...I think I like flaming chariots better," she remarked, making them both laugh.

"So what about you?" Kami asked as the boat drew closer and closer to the city. "What are your legends on the sun?"

"Hm...Shira Nui has flaming chariots, Metru Nui has eyes," she reflected, sighing. "We don't have much on legends to top other islands about the sun, but we do have this: that the whole world is a box with holes and weird shapes cut into it, and beyond the edges of the box is an infinite light of everything and nothing."

"That's...that's pretty deep," Kami said, not sure what to say about such a legend. "An infinite light of everything and nothing?"

"It's where dead people go," Orochi shrugged, getting up to adjust the sail, then turning around to look back at Kami. "And it's where new ones come from."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"Are you sure YOU weren't in black armor?" Nokama asked for the twelfth time.

"Yes. I'm positive," Vakama said. His head hurt from thinking about the recurring dream too much.

"And they wore a Huna?"

"Nokama, if your next sentence isn't speculation, I'll - "

"Alright, alright," the Toa of Water said, sitting down next to him. They were on a balcony of the Coloseum, the whole city sprawled before them, glistening in the sunsrise. "I really don't know what to say. Mirrors can have lots of meanings; an alternate personality or identity, something within one's subconscious..."

"Insanity," a voice from behind chimed in. The two turned around to see the Toa of Stone standing there, smirking. "Just kidding," he muttered quickly when he saw Vakama's expression. "You're STILL having weird dreams?" Vakama nodded, and Onewa sighed. "Y'know, maybe for once it isn't a prophecy or anything. I think you're just too tired from all the patrols you're doing every night."

"Onewa does have a point," Nokama said. "You should probably get some rest, Vakama. I'll cover your shift for tonight."

"I...thanks," Vakama muttered, his gratefulness apparent in his voice and posture. "It's...not anything disturbing, and usually I don't mind dreams like that...but it just keeps coming back..."

"Relaaax, Vakama!" Onewa said, exasperated. "It's a wonder you haven't gone 'round the bend from thinking too much! It's just a dream, it ain't gonna hurt you. Besides," he continued, helping Vakama up and turning to the door, "I think we can safely say that we've probably faced enough trouble for a lifetime, so Mata Nui's just lettin' it chill for a year or two, 'kay?"

Vakama closed his eyes; he wished he could believe Onewa. Even though he was now accustomed to his new role, that didn't mean he didn't prefer to do peaceful, QUIET, work that didn't involve saving the whole Matoran population and then some. But he also knew that just because the dangers were over his visions would not stop coming. He knew better than that. "You're right, I'm probably worrying too much," Vakama said, heading to the door where Onewa was waiting and Nokama close behind him. "But knowing what's happened before, I don't think it's a good idea to completely ignore it. Something's coming, so...just..." Vakama paused to find the right words. "Just keep an eye out, okay?"

Onewa shrugged. "Whatever you say, Vakama. Y'know, now that I think of it," he added as the trio made their way down to the atrium, "you've always had visions of bad stuff happening. When d'ya think you'll start having visions about GOOD stuff?"

"Who knows," Nokama mused, seeing that Vakama was too deep in thought to have heard the Toa of Stone. "Maybe that dream IS something good..."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"Kami!" Orochi's voice pierced though the air. "Let him GO, you wretched, foul, good-for-Karzahni - "

"Why don't you stop screaming like a Matoran, and cooperate?" the crimson being standing over her said. "Perhaps then we'll stop poking your little friend there." Orochi gave the being a dark look, then shut her mouth. She hated giving in to orders she didn't like...but the alternative was to let Kami continue to scream in pain. The other being - a blue one - stopped squeezing the young Toa's neck and dropped him unceremoniously on the floor. Kami struggled to his knees, gasping for breath.

"Orochi...you can't...let...them..." he gasped, the blue being pulling him back and pointing a long, thin blade at his exposed neck. "They can't know...they can't know...!"

"Kami, I'm not about to let you just DIE in front of me when I have even a CHANCE to save you!" Orochi said, her tone hard.

"Where. Is. It?" the crimson being said again, pointing his plasma pistol at her.

"Orochi..." Kami whispered, wishing with every fiber of his being that she would not say, NOT SAY, what she knew.

Orochi closed her eyes, then slowly turned to look up at the crimson being. 'They need us alive,' she thought, her mind racing to find a solution. 'I could lie, and they'd never know. And if they did, they can't kill us, because to succeed at whatever they're plotting NEEDS Kami, and me!'

"I...I apologize, Kami. Please understand what I'm trying to do for us," she said, not looking up at her friend. Kami hesitated, then nodded. He understood, all right.

"The ARCH is..." she began, took another breath, then continued. "The ARCH is in pieces. Shattered in the seas beyond the southern islands."

"Shattered? How is that possible? YOU did it, DIDN'T you!" the blue being said, anger boiling dangerously in his voice.

Orochi turned to look at him. "No. It was like that when we found it."

"In the south, is it? No wonder, because your ship was heading there..." the crimson one mused. "You were going back, because you thought you could fix it, didn't you?" Orochi hesitated, then nodded. "Well then," he smiled, darkly, "the race for the ARCH shall begin. However...due to your distinct advantage, Toa, we shall have to install a handicap..." Kami couldn't help but feel a surge of fear; what were they going to do?

"And what exactly is this 'handicap'?" Orochi asked with a sarcastic tone completely contrasting Kami's thoughts. "You can't exactly kill us yet. You KNOW the ARCH can only be obtained as the trophy of a race."

"But there are no rules as to HOW the race is staged," the crimson being said. "So, we shall give ourselves a head start, and mark your starting line as far away as possible. The far north, I believe..."

Orochi's eyes widened. "Metru Nui..." she whispered, despite herself. The crimson being grinned.

"Of course, nowhere further from the south than Metru Nui," the blue being said. "And have good luck finding your way back. I hear that security on Metru Nui is the highest of all the islands in this universe..."

Kami felt a sudden surge of nausea, then keeled forward as the blue being jabbed the needle into his neck. Through what little was left of his vision he saw the same being done to Orochi. 'Sedatives...how pleasant,' he thought as he collapsed. "We drop off our excess cargo on Metru Nui," he heard the crimson being say. "Then we make our way to the south. At long last, the Xeons will finally obtain the power they are rightfully worthy of!"

'Oh, how good,' Kami thought as unconsciousness took hold. 'They gave us a name...and they played right into our hands!'


	2. Chapter 2

Yay, chapter 2 is UP! I wrote it all in one sitting…I really DON'T have a life, do I? ^ ^;; Anywho, FIGHT SCENE! xD I always have lots of fun writing out action stuff and fight scenes! I sorta jumped back and fourth from this and Soul Eater episodes to get a good feel for a fight with a scythe. Soul Eater forever! xD The chapter started out really REALLY dull (I could feel myself aging as I typed it), then I was like, "Screw this, I'ma add a fight scene!". This has made my day; now I can go to bed in peace. ^ ^

On a completely different note, if anyone wants an idea of what Orochi looks like her human incarnation is up on my deviantART account (link on my bio page). I wish I could make her Bionicle incarnation, but I don't have enough pieces of the right color… *looks pleadingly at family and friends and begs for spare Bionicle parts* Hopefully Kami will be up soon. (And since Orochi is somewhat based on me, yes, I am indeed calling her a psycho!)

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

_- - - {ARCH, Part I: "Journey" - **Chapter 2, encounter with a daydream and a psycho**}_

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

_"...everything in the universe is in a black box in a white room, sitting in the hands of whoever oversees the order things," the jade-green Toa said._

_"What else is in that room? Besides the box?" the black-and-white Toa sitting next to the first one asked. "It must be pretty lonely to be a room with nothing but a box for company."_

_"Well...the room is filled with a light. A light that's comprised of everything and nothing."_

_"Everything and...nothing? How is that possible? You can't have nothing if you have everything, or everything if you have nothing," she said, puzzled._

_Her friend laughed. "It's a paradox: maybe nothing is everything...or everything is nothing. Nothing could be something, something could be everything."_

_"You're making my head hurt."_

_"Orochi, it's a concept beyond what people like us can grasp. An idea so profound - or so simple - those of us who exist within that box can't ever hope to understand," the jade Toa explained, his bright blue eyes locked with her magenta ones. "But once we leave that box and walk into the light...maybe then we can have a chance at having a vague idea of the grand scheme of things."_

_"When you say light, you mean death, right?" Orochi asked, frowning. "You're saying we have to die in order to understand life? That kinda defeats the purpose of it all."_

_"I suppose so...but what if dying isn't really 'dying'? What if it's just...a cycle? To be PART of the grand scheme of things, and then BE the grand scheme of things?"_

_Orochi watched her friend muse over his own words. "And what if those people in that box aren't MEANT to think about things beyond them, like the light? What if we only need to live happily in the world that we were given, and not worry about the things we have no control over? Wouldn't life just be EASIER?"_

_Her friend smiled as he turned to look at her. "Now, that's a thought..."_

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Nokama closed the door gently behind her. The Toa had sat down in the lounge of their quarters in the Coloseum for their "quiet time" (Matau lasted a record 8 minutes before Nuju kicked him out; the Toa of Air was making good progress!), and one by one each Toa left for their patrol or to head to bed until Vakama was the only one remaining, his mind trapped in the infinite depths of the book he was reading. Exhaustion finally took over and he was soon fast asleep on the couch, leaving Nokama to drape a cover over him and leave to cover his shift. She smiled as she remembered the look of the Toa of Fire knocked out like that: she would probably need a Tahtorak to wake him up.

Outside of the Coloseum approaching Ta-Metru, Nokama took a deep breath and allowed herself to absorb the night. From the central district of the city, she could smell the crisp chill of Ko-Metru, the smoky air of Ta-Metru, and hear the constant buzz of Le-Metru, all at once. Metru Nui was her home, and there was nothing she wouldn't give to stay like this forever...well, ALMOST anything. Shaking her head to rid herself of silly thoughts, she began her walk to Ta-Metru when she noticed someone watching her nearby. Another Toa...? But it was late; Whenua had already crashed an hour ago, Matau WAS crashing, Nuju was probably puzzling over some constellations back in Ko-Metru, and Onewa was doing his patrols in Po-Metru. Which left only...

"Vakama?" 'It can't be him. He's sleeping like the dead in the Coloseum, unless it was all a ruse for some reason and he was able to sneak out behind or ahead of me that quietly,' Nokama thought, eyeing the figure. But the outline, the shape of the mask, even the posture they stood with...it had "Vakama" written all over it. "Vakama?" she called out again. "You know...it's late. I told you, I'd cover your patrol shift for tonight, so you should go get some rest."

"My name isn't 'Vakama'," the figure said flatly, making Nokama jump. Her eyes were more adjusted to the dark now, and she could see the figure more clearly: and the first thing she saw was the golden Huna. 'But Vakama's mask isn't gold...'

"Who are you?" she asked with a harder tone. The figure took a step forward into the light of a lamp post nearby, the lightstone's yellow rays lining the edges of his ebony armor like paint strokes. Nokama felt a surge of recognition: a golden Huna, black armor... "Who are you?" she asked again. The razor blue eyes staring at her were making her nervous.

"Is this Metru Nui?"

"Y..yes..." Nokama said by reflex, not sure whether to be puzzled or suspicious at the question. "I asked, who are you? And if you don't answer me this time, I'll have to turn you over to the Vahki."

The being seemed to visibly relax when she said "yes", and took a few steps closer. "My name is Kami. I'm a Toa from...south." Kami mentally kicked himself for almost giving away vital information so freely to a stranger.

"How did you get here? There's no way a Toa could have gotten past security without one of us knowing," the blue one said. 'Of course, as Orochi would say, she has every right to be suspicious,' Kami thought. "I...I got...lost," he said, mentally kicking himself again for such a lame answer.

"'Lost'?" the blue one asked, sounding not at all convinced. One did not simply get "lost" on Metru Nui.

Kami hesitated. Should he tell her? 'What if...no, she couldn't be an enemy. At least not intentionally. If anything, she may have seen Orochi around, or even help us with our mission,' he thought, looking over the blue Toa. 'And she seems...nice enough.' Slowly, he walked forward until he was right in front of her. Nokama blinked; up close, he was clearly not Vakama. He was shorter, only slightly taller than her, and the markings on his mask and armor were very, very different than those of a Toa Metru.

"Can I trust you?" he asked. His blue eyes stared into her. 'Like he can see my soul,' Nokama thought. "My friend and I are in something very dangerous, and I can only cooperate if I know I can trust you," he continued in a quiet but gentle tone.

'This is definitely the same Toa in Vakama's dream,' Nokama thought. 'He doesn't seem to pose any threat. And even if he has bad intentions, well...I don't think there's anything we CAN'T handle anymore.' She looked back into the Toa's eyes. "You have my word, Kami; my friends and I will not harm you unless we have good reason to do so." The Toa nodded, then followed her as she led him back to the Coloseum.

Kami was deep in thought as he followed the blue Toa up the long line of stairs of the grand structure (the elevator was still being repaired). There was something strangely familiar about her, but he couldn't quite place it. Was it her armor...? Yes, it looked familiar...so familiar... He was pretty sure the rest of her team wore the same kind of armor, as do most Toa teams. Their leader was likely a Toa of Fire...with scarlet armor...and a crimson Huna...

It took great effort for Kami not to audibly gasp, and his hand raced up to his mask in time to prevent any noise from coming out. That's when he felt it, the sharp pain in his shoulder. He had forgotten he had recently been injured in an interrogation process. Even with his hand at his mouth, a small cry of pain still escaped him. The blue Toa turned around at the sound. Nokama's eyes widened: in the dimmed light of the lightstone, she had somehow missed the angry gash on his shoulder. It wasn't bleeding, but it was still relatively fresh. "You're hurt. Why didn't you say so?" The ebony Toa said nothing, only cradled his injury.

Nokama turned around to find that they had arrived at the living quarters. "We'll treat that first, and maybe you should get some rest," she said, opening the door to the lounge. "We can talk to the Turaga in the morning." With a jolt, she realized that Vakama was still sleeping on the couch when she turned back to the room.

"Nokama...?" he mumbled groggily, blinking awake. "I thought you left to...to..." His eyes found the black Toa with the golden Huna. "...to cover my shift," he finished absentmindedly, now wide awake. "Who is he? When did he get here?" the red Toa was asking suddenly, much to Kami's surprise.

"Uh, well..." Nokama began, not sure of how to explain the situation.

"You! I've seen you before!" Kami cut in, the realization dawning on him. There was no mistaking it: same crimson armor, same scarlet mask.

Now Vakama was puzzled. "What? But how - "

"Vakama," Nokama said, rushing forward to cut him off before their words got too loud and woke the rest of the residents up. She looked at the black Toa, then Vakama, then back again. "I think we need to talk," she said.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Orochi had all of her senses on high alert as she treaded carefully through the region she remember to be Po-Metru. The sculptures around her looked like gravestones in the shadows, masks with unseeing eyes staring blankly through her as she walked past. 'Really, they can't think of anything better to carve up,' she thought drily. She was so absorbed in her thoughts of criticism, she never noticed the approaching figure until she was nearly in it's line of sight. Swearing under her breath, she quickly ducked behind a statue only to knock some loose rocks from it. She felt the figure snap to look in her direction.

"Who's there?" he asked. Orochi remained silent, hoping that whoever (or whatever) saw her was dumb enough to just move on. 'It'd be to their best interest...' she thought. 'They wouldn't want to be caught in an all-out fight with me.'

"Who's there?" Onewa could've sworn he heard and SAW something behind that statue over there. He shined his lightstone in its direction. Usually he would dismiss noises like this as Rahi and just continue on his merry way...but this was way to close to the Coloseum for comfort. No Rahi would ever come this far into the central district. "Oi, I said who's there? I know you're there. And if you don't answer, I'll make you!"

To his surprise, laughter responded to his words. "'Make' me? Good sir, you can't simply 'make' me do anything!" the voice said. "You see, it must be something worth doing for me to do it."

Onewa frowned. That voice, that tone...it was so familiar, he could taste it. He removed his proto pitons from his pack, readying himself for an attack. Behind the statue Orochi did the same. "Step out where I can see you. I already know where you are, so don't think you can get away."

"You should think the same," the voice replied. "Don't think you're the only one here who can deal out orders."

He was just about fed up with the talk. Whoever was behind the statue was clearly not going to listen to him. "Well then, what do you have to be afraid of?" he said back, and to his surprise, the figure walked out from behind the statue. She had a slender frame accented by her black-and-white armor, and there was a knowing smirk on her ebony mask. Onewa's eyes narrowed when he saw the lethal-looking scythe slung over her shoulder like a toy.

"There's nothin' here I'm afraid of," Orochi said, eyeing the brown Toa. "How 'bout you?"

"Only that you'll wake up the whole block," he said. "Now why don't you shut up and come quietly?" Onewa concentrated and a line of stone spikes erupted from the ground towards the figure. The dust cleared, only for him to see that she had cut clear through the attack with her scythe.

"You wanna fight, buddy?" The brown Toa said nothing, only readied himself in a combat stance. Orochi smiled. "Alright, let's dance!"

Swinging her weapon over to her other arm, she made a quick dash for the Toa of Stone. Onewa stumbled, barely blocking a swing from her weapon. 'How did she get here so fast?' In the blink of an eye she was behind him, and again he parried her blow. "Hm, not bad," she said, swinging her scythe again. Onewa jumped out of the way and swung one of his pitons, which caught on the blade of her scythe. For a moment, it looked like she was trapped. "Nice try, but - " Orochi brought the scythe around in a wide swing, dragging the Toa of Stone with it, " - no Kanohi!" He quickly summoned a pillar of stone for his other piton to hook on to, which brought the swing to a stop. Jerking the handle, he retracted the piton hooked on the other's weapon and landed heavily on the ground. He looked up to see the black-and-white figure fly at him, her scythe about to strike. He quickly rolled aside, her blade slicing through the pillar, and swung a piton at her again. She ducked down, allowing the piton to fly over her head and smash into what remained of the pillar. Once it made contact with the rock, she made another dash at him with her scythe poised like a pike in front of her, only for him to twist out of the way and bring his other piton down on her. It caught again on the long handle.

Thinking fast, Orochi made another wide swing with her scythe: but instead of a side swing she made an uppercut. Onewa swore as he felt the handle of the piton slip out of his grip and his weapon landed on the ground a few meter away. He started backing away, summoning stone pillars to block the figure as she pursued. Orochi charged forward, unfazed by the pillars, slicing them each with alternating swings until she caught up to him. Without stopping she swung at the Toa, who barely dodged the blade. Bring the blade back around over her shoulder she swung again only for him to jump and roll back. Onewa summoned another stone wall, trying to catch his breath from all the dodging. He groaned when he saw flashes of the scythe cutting the wall with a swift "X". Timing his next attack, he swung his remaining piton at the figure to trip her. To his surprise, she slammed the bladed end of the scythe on the ground and did a clean flip over him, his piton caught on the base of the handle instead of her legs.

With the momentum of her flip, Orochi swung the scythe forward as she landed, flinging the Toa of Stone onto the pavement and his weapon a few meter further. Without pausing, she walked over to the fallen Toa and pinned him on the chest with her foot.

"Listen here, Mr. Rockface," she said, a victorious smirk on her face. "I've got business to attend to here on Metru Nui. If it weren't for you and your pretty little pebbles back there, I wouldn't've had to make noise. Now, maybe if you cooperate with me here, the worse I'll do to you is give you a concussion."


	3. Chapter 3

Sorry this update wasn't as immediate as chapter 2, but school seems to have its ways of keeping its students occupied…

Another flashback! And fight scene, continued! :D I purposely left it at a cliffhanger, 'cause I can! _((**SPOILER:** And also, it's kinda obvious what the outcome will be… ^ ^;; ))_

Hmm…so the bulk of this chapter is the flashback (which I enjoyed writing, because Orochi relates to me a lot). I loved writing for Vakama; his off-beat humor and way of thinking are so neat…Vakama, I luv uuuuuu~~3!~!3~!~~3!~~~!~! *is shot*

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

_- - - {ARCH, Part I: "Journey" - **Chapter 3, gale versus fire and stone**}_

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

_The new Toa stood in the middle of the tundra, silver blades of grass swaying around her like water. How long has it been already? Only a week ago she was ordinary, a scavenger like any other resident of the island who resented her methodical life, who dreamed of being more and attaining higher power. And now that she had it, she had no idea what to do. 'Dreaming alone will get you nowhere,' she thought. This would be the first of many lessons in her new life as a Toa._

_"Keep this up, girl, and you'll be dead in a month."_

_She whipped around to see one of the senior Toa, the grey Toa of Sand, smirking at her. "You have no sense of survival, do you? It's a wonder why your tribe bothered keeping you alive; you must be one pampered 'scavenger'," he said, not bothering to hide the mocking tone in his voice._

_"Why, you...!" Without thinking she charged at him, hoping to land a hit on him this time. The Toa side-stepped her attack and turned the soil beneath her into fine sand, causing her to slip and fall over._

_He laughed. "Useless fool! Don't you know what your elemental powers are for? Any idiot can see a move like that coming. Short tempers and bad moves make one fine, dead Toa!" She scowled at him, as if her glare could possible knock him over or subject him to some serious state of pain. Her frustration and anger flowed through her mind as she willed him to suffer, to feel her wrath._

_But nothing happened._

_Giving a scream of frustration, she turned the other direction and ran, leaving the senior Toa standing there, smirking, as he watched her flee. "Yeah, you go ahead and run! Maybe your suffering will end sooner that way!" he laughed. When he saw his jade-green comrade approach him, he immediately stopped._

_"That's not how we treat people, Logan," he said._

_Logan shrugged. "She's a rookie with no understanding of life and anger management problems. Ignorant, selfish, and idealistic - the worst combination in the world!"_

_A sudden blast of heat sent him stumbling backwards, away from the Toa of Fire. "And you were so different? You are just as much a fool and an idiot as her if all you can see in her are tedious flaws. Did I ever treat you like that? Did she do anything to harm you to deserve that kind of treatment?"_

_"Ugh, fine! Tell me, Megami, why'd you make her a Toa anyways? It's not written in the stars, nobody told you! Out of all the hardworking people in this stinkin' desert, why the most mentally-screwed one?" Logan said, exasperated, throwing his hands in the air._

_The Toa of Fire stared at the dry, barren desert past the grassy hills where the new Toa had taken off to. "If she stayed what she was, she would never learn anything beyond the boundaries of her own thoughts," he finally said after a long silence. " Such a meaningless life...she'd be better off being dead. She may be insecure, but that's all the more reason to reach out to her." Megami looked up at Logan. "If we could teach her what we know - show her how to be brave, how to accept the truth, how to deal with fear - then she will be one of the strongest Toa to ever walk this universe! She has the potential to be strong...all she needs is someone to support her, tell her what she's capable of."_

_"And YOU'RE gonna do that for her?"_

_"I'm going to be right beside her to support her, and so will you, and the rest of the team. I've decided, I'm going to make her the captain."_

_Logan did a double-take. "Wh-what?" he coughed. "You're just gonna surrender your position to someone like her?"_

_"I KNOW she's capable of everything I am, and even more. When she's walked the full circle, she will lead us better than anything I could ever hope to do. Now, you can't just stand around and insult her. I know you don't like her, and it's not my place to change your opinion, but you have to accept her as a member of this team, and as an EQUAL to you."_

_The Toa of Sand stared hard at his friend and leader for a long moment before speaking in a low voice. "Say what you will, Megami, but nothing you say will change my mind about her." With that, Logan turned on his heel and headed back for his tent. The Toa of Fire shook his head; he knew Logan was still a little bitter over the fact that he had chosen Fyuori to be his lieutenant. He knew Logan was capable of many things - he was their strongest fighter, and had been right with Megami since their lives as Toa began - but Logan still hadn't quite learned what it was to be a leader. It wasn't the flaws that were the issue; rather, it was the fact that he did not acknowledge and understand his flaws that kept Megami from choosing him to be his second-in-command._

_'When the time comes, Logan, I know you will understand,' Megami thought, heading off to find the young Toa of Cyclones. 'You will understand why I chose Fyuori…and why I made the decision that I did.' He arrived at a small clump of trees. It was her favorite place, he knew: there was no other greenery for miles of dry, cracked ground, and it was right at the edge of the territory, where she would be content to daydream about what might lie outside her boundaries. The young Toa bristled when she saw him, her bright red eyes alert with intelligence and paranoid suspicion. She watched him warily as he approached her._

_He smiled. The Toa glanced at him blankly before turning back to look at her horizon. Megami didn't push her; he knew she would speak up eventually._

_"How?" she asked suddenly._

_"How, what?"_

_"How do I do it?" she said softly, her voice a whisper of both anticipation and fear. "I HATE being weak. I don't like it when other people just do whatever they want to me. That's not how people are supposed to live…is it?" She turned to give him a worried look._

_"Well," Megami began thoughtfully, "I suppose it starts with how YOU think about yourself. Do you think you're weak?"_

_There was another long silence, but shorter than the first one. "Yes," she whispered. "I can never do anything when they order me around, tell me what to do…"_

_"What do they tell you to do?"_

_"Work," she spat with sudden contempt. "BORING work. Stuff that don't take any brains to do. Even when they say I'm 'helping', all they do is make me sit by and watch 'till I'm about to fall over dead. But I don't mind watch duty, 'cause no one comes 'round to bother me." She dropped her worried look and studied him hard. "I've never heard of a green Toa of Fire. Aren't green Toa s'pposed to be, I dunno, plants or something?"_

_Megami laughed. "I don't know. I've thought about it, but I never really came up with a good answer to that."_

_The young Toa thought for a moment. "That must be terrible, then," she deduced._

_"How so?"_

_"I can't stand not knowing the answer to something. Everyone tells me if you don't know something obvious, you're an idiot. And why you're armor's its color is something obvious."_

_"Not knowing something doesn't mean you're an idiot. In fact, I think it's wiser to accept that you don't know everything, that there are some questions that just have no right answer." The black-and-white Toa stared at him hard. "What?"_

_"Most people say I'm bein' stupid, or that something's wrong with my head when I say stuff like that."_

_"There's nothing wrong with saying what you think. Being honest is a very honorable thing." The young Toa blinked, just staring at him. Megami smiled. "Don't let every single thing people say about you get to your head. All that matters is what you think about yourself," he said gently._

_"I wish I could believe that," she replied. "But nobody ever tells me stuff, other than what I'm not."_

_"Then let me tell you what you are," Megami said, placing a hand on her shoulder and looking her in the eye. She didn't flinch. "You aren't what they say you are or aren't anymore. You're a Toa now, a Toa of Cyclones. It won't be easy, but you'll learn so much more than you've ever thought possible. There is absolutely nothing wrong with being who you are, so long as you don't hurt anyone. You are now capable of so many things; all you need to do is trust yourself that you can."_

_After another long moment - the longest one yet - she turned to look the jade Toa in the eye. She looked long and hard before turning back to the horizon. 'He's right; I won't dream anymore. I know why I'm weak, because ALL I do is dream pointlessly, just waiting stupidly for something to change my life. I have to change my OWN life…even if all I have is me at the end.' "Alright, then," she said suddenly, standing up. "Teach me."_

_Megami was slightly confused. "Teach you what?"_

_"Teach me!" she said, exasperated. "Everything! How to be a Toa, how to use my powers, how to not be weak. I don't wanna sit around anymore."_

_Megami smiled. There was something in her eyes that weren't there before; a nerve-wrecking sureness - of what, he wasn't sure - but it was there: confidence. "Alrighty, then," he said, standing up to lead her back to the grassy hills. "Let's get started, Orochi."_

_Orochi gave the horizon one last fleeting look before turning away. 'Never again will I gaze pointlessly at that,' she thought, briskly following her new friend. 'All I need to do is trust myself that I'm capable of doing whatever I want, and be whatever I want.'_

_That was the second of many lessons in her new life as a Toa: she, herself, can be capable of anything, as long as that was what she wanted._

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Nokama had just finished wrapping Kami's shoulder when they heard several loud crashes outside. The three Toa rushed to the window to see a heated battle taking place on the street below.

"That's Onewa," was all that Vakama said before he grabbed his disk launcher and bolted out of the room.

Kami frowned as he watched the battle. "Is Onewa the brown one?" he asked.

Nokama nodded. "Yes."

"Then we'd better go help him," the newcomer said, heading to the door to follow Vakama. "He's loosing. Badly."

"But you're still injured!"

"That doesn't mean I can't intervene."

Glancing out the window, Nokama saw that the ebony Toa was right: Onewa was being overwhelmed by the new menace. "Alright, let's go." The two remaining Toa ran for the stairs after Vakama.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"Listen here, Mr. Rockface," Orochi said, a victorious smirk on her face. "I've got business to attend to here on Metru Nui. If it weren't for you and your pretty little pebbles back there, I wouldn't've had to make noise. Now, maybe if you cooperate with me here, the worse I'll do to you is give you a concussion."

The Toa of Stone swore under his breath. She waited patiently for an answer, but then whipped around as she heard the sound of something hurtling through the air. It was now her turn to swear as she saw the disk headed straight for her mask.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"Listen here, Mr. Rockface," the onyx-and-ivory being said, a victorious smirk on her face. "I've got business to attend to here on Metru Nui. If it weren't for you and your pretty little pebbles back there, I wouldn't've had to make noise. Now, maybe if you cooperate with me here, the worse I'll do to you is give you a concussion."

Onewa swore under his breath. He was too close to the Coloseum to give up now. 'Please tell me someone inside heard the racket,' he thought as he tried to come up with a way to throw the attacker off.

It turned out he didn't need to. A disk came out of nowhere at his attacker, who barely dodged it with a small gash on her shoulder. He looked up to see Vakama right down the street, disk launcher in hand. 'Finally! About time someone got here!' Onewa thought, too occupied to notice his attacker was already charging at him. Vakama let out a stream of fire to cut her off.

'Oh great, a Toa of Fire, too?' Orochi thought, positioning herself to keep both Toa in her line of sight. "Don't play with fire so carelessly like that," she said, smirking. "You might hurt yourself."

"I could say the same for you," the scarlet Toa replied dryly, shooting several fireballs at her. She tracked their trajectory paths and swiftly dodged them as she dashed at the Toa of Fire. Vakama hit the ground with his fist, sending a wave of fire at her. In the blink of an eye she was at his back, her scythe already mid-swing. 'How'd she do that?' he thought, throwing up a blast of fire that sent her flying back a few yards. Orochi used her scythe to break her landing. She was down on one knee with the scythe over her shoulder, taking deep breaths of fresh air.

"Hm…not bad," she said, standing up. "However, it seems I'll have to end the dance here before it gets too far."

The two Toa Metru's eyes widened as the scythe began to glow and change shape, gales of wind whirling around the blade. Vakama began assaulting her with flame spheres while Onewa sent jagged pieces of stone hurtling towards her. Much to their surprise, their opponent responded swiftly, swinging the scythe swiftly to shatter the rocks and snuff out the flames. Onewa threw a wall of stone at her as Vakama sent twin bursts of fire, only for her to dodge the wall and slice through the flames unharmed. 'It's that scythe,' Vakama thought. 'Whatever it does, it can cut through both mine and Onewa's attacks.'

Too quick for them to react, she swung her scythe at the ground, sending hurricane-force gales at the Toa. Vakama barely countered the attack with a heat wave to disrupt the wind, but Onewa took the bulk of the hit and flew backward, landing hard on the ground. The Toa of Fire looked up just in time to see her fly at him with her scythe, and threw up a flaming shield to guard himself. Orochi's scythe hit the flames, the whirling gales struggling to overwhelm the fire. 'At this rate, it won't be long before his power runs out,' she thought as the red Toa stumbled back slightly. 'Maintaining a shield like this takes a heavy toll.'

Vakama felt the energy slowly but surly drain as he tried to hold the attacker back. He knew it was only a matter of time before his power gave out and her scythe would slice him to pieces. 'I can only hope Nokama and the other Toa can make it in time before they're short one Toa of Fire,' he thought, feeling fatigue slowly ebb into his body as he summoned every bit of power he had.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Nokama and Kami raced down the stairs, the ebony Toa in the lead. He slammed the door open and felt the rush of cool air on his mask. The first thing he saw was the Toa Metru of Fire in a deadlock with a black-and-white Toa, who was wielding a large glowing scythe. Nokama saw that Vakama was at his limit, straining to hold the other one off. Right about then Onewa recovered, looked up, and saw the same thing. "Vakama!" they called out.

"Orochi!" Kami yelled, and began to run.

Everyone watched in shock as Vakama's power gave out, and with nothing to stop it, the deadly scythe came slicing through the air right at the Toa Metru of Fire.


	4. Chapter 4

Apologies for taking forever and a half to update this. Half of it was a minor case of writer's block, half of it was another storyline to plan out, and the other half was school. (Oh, atoa, excuses excuses…)

To answer a comment posted by An-non-ee-mus: yes, Orochi is a Toa, and the Toa Code does forbid unnecessary killing. However, there are several factors that lead to that situation: most of which are plot spoilers, so I can't say them, but also because she was distracted by Kami's sudden arrival and she didn't anticipate Vakama's power giving out so quickly. Even before his shield broke she wasn't intent on "killing" him or Onewa; she just wanted to show them "who was boss", so to speak…

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

_- - - {ARCH, Part I: "Journey" - **Chapter 4, new allies and old enemies**}_

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

There were many times when the Toa Metru of Fire had faced death and could only watch as his life slowly ebbed away. A million things flew through his head as he watched the scythe fly through the air, about to cut him into a thousand pieces. However, one thought connected as he watched the glowing eyes and onyx armor...there were even two ebony plaits dangling down from right behind her mask.

'No...impossible...' Vakama thought as stark terror flooded his veins. 'It can't be her...it can't be her..." But where else would he see that shade of black, or those ominous, glowing eyes? Everything about the attacker suddenly looked every bit like viceroy...

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Kami ignored the soreness in his shoulder as he sprinted as fast as he could for the two Toa. 'Leave it to Orochi to pick a fight out of nowhere,' he thought, racing forward with his arms outstretched, focusing his power to the scythe. He could feel the molecular bonds come apart, the material slowly unweaving and losing density. The blade of the scythe came apart like a water splash caught in mid-motion, leaving the loose material to pass harmlessly through a stunned but safe Toa Metru of Fire.

Orochi jerked on the scythe against the momentum of her swing, bringing it to a jarring halt once the blade passed completely through the scarlet Toa. Its molecular bonds recovered right as it passed into the ground and it lodged itself there, partway buried in the pavement.

The eyes of the three Toa Metru widened. 'What WAS that?' Vakama thought. 'What can this guy do?' Nokama and Onewa rushed forward. "What the heck did you DO?" Onewa exclaimed. "And who the heck ARE you?"

"A Toa," Kami said shortly before turning to his partner. "What were you thinking, picking a fight in the middle of Metru Nui?"

"Hey, he made the first move! And besides, how was I supposed to know they weren't gonna get in the way?" Orochi shot back.

"Orochi, there's a difference between self-defense and wreaking havoc," Kami sighed, sounding to Nokama like a parent scolding a disobedient child.

Orochi shrugged off the discussion. "Nevermind that, we'll sort that out later. So, these folks friends of yours?"

"Uh...more or less," Kami said. "I only met them an hour or two ago. Before you went on your little rampage there," he added in a lower voice. Orochi merely raised her eyebrows at the comment. He then turned to face the Toa Metru. "Sorry 'bout her, she's gets excited easily. Nokama, Vakama, this is my partner, Orochi, Toa of Cyclones."

Vakama's eyes narrowed, which Nokama and Orochi didn't fail to notice. "You know the name, Toa?" Orochi asked.

"Uh, no..." Vakama said, caught unawares by the sudden question. "It's just that you look like...someone I knew." 'If this really is Roodaka, I have to be careful,' he thought, eyeing the strange Toa. 'She nearly killed me, and Onewa. Best to play it cautious.' He was slightly relieved to see "Orochi" shrug it off.

"My name is Nokama, Toa Metru of Water," Nokama said politely to the black-and-white Toa. "This is Vakama, Toa Metru of Fire, and Onewa, Toa Metru of Stone."

Kami nodded to the brown Toa. "Kami, Toa of Molecular Disruption. Pleasure to meet you all."

"So THAT'S what you did back there?" Onewa asked, referring to Kami's intervention with the scythe.

"I temporarily disabled the molecular bonds of the metal," Kami explained. "But most of my abilities only work with substances I'm very familiar with, and they have to be non-organic."

"Science lectures aside," Orochi said, "I think we should go inside and talk it over in a more domestic setting, don't y'think, Kami?"

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"Well, now that we're all settled down nice, there's a misunderstanding we need to clean up," Orochi said, sitting next to Kami on the sofa opposite the Toa Metru. "I do apologize for attackin' you back there, but the business we're doing is some pretty risky stuff."

"And what 'xactly is that?" Onewa asked, still a bit sour from the scuffle.

"There's something here in Metru Nui that we're looking for," Kami said. "We believe it plays an important part in the task we've undertaken."

"What kind of task?"

"It's not exactly something we can just reel off to ya," Orochi said. "Toa or not, heroes or not, we don't know exactly just how far the opponents we're contending against can reach. They could be listening to us now, waiting for us to drop information."

"That can't be possible," Vakama said. "Security has - "

"Been at its highest ever since the Visorak incident?" Orochi finished, to his surprise. 'How did she know?' Vakama wondered suspiciously. "Yeah, we figured too, but these guys aren't like anything you folks up north deal with. Up here it's easy: everything's good or bad, black and white, and it's easy to tell the difference. But down south, where both we and our opponents come from, they live in that perpetual grey you can't ever seem to figure out. If they found a way to get here, then they were already here yesterday."

"Hold it, hold it!" Onewa interrupted. "YOU may know what the heck you're doing, but we sure as heck DON'T. I understand if it's for the safety of something or whatever, but you've got to tell us the context at least."

Nokama nodded. "If you tell us more, perhaps we can help you find what it is you're looking for."

Kami glanced at Orochi. They knew it was highly dangerous to tell other Toa - especially ones they have only just met - what it is they were doing. Kami let Orochi think over it; although she had her moments, he trusted her judgment. After all, it had gotten them this far, hadn't it?

Orochi thought hard. It was her nature to be wary and suspicious of others; it was difficult for her to trust complete strangers to information that could put her and Kami's lives in danger. 'But these Toa Metru are different,' she thought, looking over them. 'They're so young, barely past the novice stage and still fresh to the world of glory and horror. Sure, I've heard they've been put through more in a year than most Toa have in a lifetime, but that adventurous crash-course can never make up for experience. And yet…these Toa are still young enough to believe in honor, trust, and virtue. They're still appalled at the thought of treason or murder. They won't think twice about not telling what we tell them to someone else; they still honor the meaning of "trust".'

She gave Kami a nod, and he began to explain.

"There exists something they call 'the key to obtaining everything and nothing'. A potent object called 'ARCH' that gives it's possessor the power to alter the very fundamentals of the universe: physics, gravity, energy, light, matter, molecular composition, celestial laws, space-time; everything. Its purpose is not a weapon, but many who pursue it either wish to inflict chaos on the universe or simply want to possess that kind of power. In theory, by obtaining ARCH and, in turn, control over everything and nothing, it will bend to the will of its possessor. In plain language, grant any wish, no matter how impossible.

"The only way to fully possess ARCH is to win it. There must be a mutual agreement between contending entities to begin a 'race' to reach the ARCH and access it first in order to control it as well. Without competition, ARCH will not fully surrender control to whoever finds it. There are no rules as to how this race is won, so many opponents will kill the others to ensure that they are the ones to win it."

"Currently we've identified three entities after ARCH," Orochi explained, letting Kami rest for a bit. "One is, of course, ourselves; the other is another tag-team of rogue Toa; and the third consists of two or more beings called 'Xeon'. We also know there's a fourth contender somewhere, but they seem to be dormant at the moment. We've already been captured by one of them - the 'Xeons' - and interrogated (rather painfully, might I add). For now we've sent them on a deterrent path, but it won't take them long to figure out we lied."

"So…" Vakama began, his head throbbing from all the information but somehow intrigued by what he was hearing, "why are you here on Metru Nui? Is this ARCH here?"

"No, the ARCH itself is right off the coast of our home island," Orochi said. "We found it, but it requires its own 'key' to unlock it."

"We're sure the key is somewhere here on Metru Nui," Kami continued. "That's why we're here; to find this artifact before the other contenders and get to the ARCH before they do."

Onewa frowned. "Why's it so imperative you get this ARCH? You could be just like the rest of 'em: looking for power and such."

"We're not," Orochi said flatly. "There're a few reasons why we want ARCH: first, to keep that kind of power out of the hands of ill will and naïve foolishness so the world as we know it won't be ripped to shreds; second, once we obtain it, we're going to use its own power to destroy it." 'And third…third…' Orochi though silently to herself, pretending not to notice the gaze Kami cast at her.

"Wouldn't destroying it disrupt the flow of the rest of the universe?" Nokama asked.

"Naw. ARCH is only a device, a means, of controlling the forces of 'everything and nothing'. Destroying it won't disrupt what it controls. There's actually theories that if ARCH didn't exist, energy and matter would flow more fluently in the universe; they think that ARCH's existence serves as an obstruction to the natural way of things…or somethin' like that.

"Anyhow, it's pretty late," Orochi concluded, yawning and leaning back into the sofa. "I think you'll make more out of it tomorrow when you're more awake and less tired, don't y'think?"

"Yes, you're right," Nokama said, fighting back a yawn of her own. She stood up, about to find her way to her room, when she realized something. "Oh, let me find you a place to stay."

"I'll do it, Nokama," Vakama said suddenly, feeling restless. "No, Nokama, you go sleep. I already had a nap, anyways."

"Oh… thanks, Vakama." The Toa of Water smiled, and she made her way to her room. The Toa of Stone had already disappeared to his.

With everyone else gone, Orochi turned to the Toa of Fire. "Alright, then, Toa; lead the way."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

The three Toa walked through the halls of the Coliseum, led by Vakama. His mind went over the information he just learned again and again, trying to make sense of it all. He had a feeling that they weren't lying about the 'ARCH'…and the idea that such a thing existed intrigued him. 'But I still don't trust these two,' he thought. 'Especially this "Orochi"…there's something she's hiding.' He recalled the surge of recognition not too long earlier, the chill of the memories still fresh in his body. 'I'm going to find the answers now, and I won't lose myself to HER this time!'

'We stopped in the middle of nowhere,' Orochi thought when the scarlet Toa stopped in his tracks. 'What's this kid doin'?' "Hey, why'd we stop?" she asked. "This doesn't really look like a place where resting quarters are."

The Toa Metru of Fire turned around, with an expression that made even Kami frown. "That's because it's not."


	5. Chapter 5

Took ya long enough, atoa… *shoots&kills*

Sorry for this REALLY delayed update. For those of you who read my deviantART updates (which, I'm guessing, is none of you), I've been very occupied by my new comic idea "Haven", a spin-off from my little BUSINESS drabbles. I'm currently taking a break from that in case I start getting too tired of it, and in the process I have a slightly revived interest in the ARCH story (mainly because Orochi and Kami are featured in Haven as well, along with other future ARCH OCs, and even some Bionicle characters making cameo appearances in human form).

But don't get your hopes up. As I said on dA, I probably won't make many regular updates and ideas will come as they will; I just haven't given up entirely on my fanfics (except for RED, Generation NEXT, and possibly Trebuchet, which will only get the random wayward installment every few centuries).

Anyway, I wrote this on a whim, so it's not my best work. :\ But lots of action, and a nice twist as the end, too! :D

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

_- - - {ARCH, Part I: "Journey" - Chapter 5, ebony figure}_

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Onewa leaned back on the couch, worn out from the night. "Nokama, what are we gonna tell the others when they wake up?"

"I don't know," Nokama answered. "I'm still trying to get my head around all this myself. I guess we'll just have to-"

A sudden explosion rattled the floor. Onewa swore. "What the hell is going on now? They're gonna wake the whole city up, for Mata Nui's sake!" Sighing, he and Nokama rushed out into the hallway to find quite the sight.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Orochi swore colorfully as she tried her best to dodge a barrage of flaming missiles, each getting dangerously closer to her. "****, what is this kid's problem? Sure, I kinda picked a fight out there and kicked his sorry ass, but it's not like I wanna take over the city or somethin'!"

Kami didn't reply. He was too busy trying to avoid getting fried. The missiles came too quickly for him to use his powers to disperse them, and he wasn't as swift as Orochi. 'Where's a Kanohi Hau when you need one,' he thought, ducking another fireball. 'Since we landed in this miserable city…I've had enough of this.' He quickly whipped out a plasma pistol and fired a random shot, hoping it would hit somewhere close enough to stun the Toa of Fire.

Vakama didn't see the black-and-cobalt Toa fire his weapon until it was too late. The plasma ray hit the ground near his feet, throwing him off-balance. He stumbled back before throwing another flaming projectile at the Toa.

Nokama was at a complete loss at what to think.

"Vakama!" Onewa yelled. "What the hell is going on?"

"Rockface got some common sense, finally!" Orochi remarked, taking advantage of Vakama's stumble to throw a gust of wind at him, knocking him over. "I'd also like to know what's going on."

"No, Onewa, you don't get it!" Vakama called out. "It's HER! She never died, she got back somehow…!" Nokama and Onewa glanced at each other; they could tell from the Toa's voice what he was talking about. 'It couldn't be…could it…?' Nokama thought, turning to look at the ebony Toa.

"The hell? What idiot picked this guy to be Toa, anyhow?" Orochi said. That insult was the last straw. Without warning Vakama flew at her, his fists glowing with heat. Orochi felt the hit burn into her shoulder; yelling out in surprise (and pain) she whipped around and hit her own fist in the scarlet Toa's chest, knocking him back down. "Now what the crap are you talking about?" she said harshly, bracing herself for another attack.

Vakama glared at her. "You know what I'm talking about, Roodaka."

Orochi stared. Then a smirk crossed her face. "You wanna know something, kid, you are the most delusional guy I've ever met. Just sayin'. What, you think I'M that pathetic excuse of a 'queen'? I've got better things to do than ordering giant spiders around."

Onewa frowned. "Wait a second, how do YOU know about that?" he asked suspiciously.

"Oh come on, name an island who DOESN'T know about it. You'd know, too, if you hadn't spent so many years with your ports locked shut. Look, I'm not here to chase stuff you've already dealt with. I'm here on my own mission."

"Which is just the same as before."

"Will you shut up about that already? So maybe I LOOK like that-" Kami shook his head as Orochi used another quite colorful name "-but I'm not."

"You're lying," Vakama said, whipping forward with a clenched fist. To his surprise, Orochi stepped forward and grabbed his wrist, using his own momentum to pull him forward.

"Now what's it gonna take to get it through your smelted skull that I'm not Roodaka," she said, right as she heard footsteps approaching.

"What's going on?"

"Is it sparring time already…?"

"Or maybe Matau was awake."

"Hey, I was actually asleep!"

"What in Mata Nui's name…?"

"Vakama, what's going on?"

Kami looked up to see three other Toa arrive at the hallway, disbelief crossing their faces as they took in the scene. 'Oh, Orochi, what have you done now?' he thought defeatedly. Then he noticed the red Turaga standing in front of them.

"Aw great, now you've woken 'em up," Orochi muttered, eyeing the other Toa while keeping her grip on Vakama's wrist. Then she saw the red Turaga look at her. "Well well, if it ain't THAT guy…" she said, a smirk crossing her face.

Turaga Dume frowned when he recognized the foreign Toa. "If you don't mind letting go of my Toa, that would be much appreciated," he said rather coldly.

Orochi let go of Vakama a little to suddenly, making him land once again on the floor. She was still smirking. "Hey there, chief. Long time no see."


	6. Chapter 6

Meh, sorter chapter, mostly a filler. The action starts next chapter, but I have to get some stuff in before we move on any further.

So yeah! More hints and such on Orochi's past, and her not-so-respectable opinion of a certain someone. Oh, what one earth could have happened, I wonder…? :9 All in good time!

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

- - - {ARCH, Part I: "Journey" - _Chapter 6, a not-so-ideal reunion…?_}

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

After Nokama filled the others in on what had happened, the six Toa Metru and Turaga Dume entered the meeting room where Orochi and Kami were waiting. Dume had said nothing, but they could all tell that he was not too pleased. Orochi, on the other hand, looked quite at ease with the situation. 'I hope you know what you're doing,' Kami thought.

"Who'd have guessed? So you're still around coaching rookie teams, Dume?" Orochi asked, that slight smirk still on her face.

"For your information, these 'rookies' have been through quite a lot, Orochi," Dume said rather coldly. "So what are you here to steal next?"

"Actually, I'm pleased to say that those days are behind me. I've met some…interesting…friends who convinced me otherwise."

"If by 'friends' you mean-"

"No, I don't," Orochi interrupted, her tone hardening. "And believe it or not, those other people were ones who actually gave crap for my well-being."

"Whether or not that is true, trespassing on Metru Nui soil is still illegal," Dume said shortly.

"Yeah, your kid Rockface over there already pointed that out to me." Onewa opened his mouth to say something back when Nokama elbowed him in the side. "And we didn't exactly trespass; more like got dropped here against our own will."

"From the sounds of it, it doesn't seem like that was entirely against your will."

Orochi didn't respond, but studied Dume for a moment. "Alright, then," she said, "maybe not entirely. We tricked our captors into dropping us off here, if you must know, and sent them off on the wildest goose-chase of their lives while we, meanwhile, search here for the artifact we're looking for."

"And what artifact is that?"

"Oh, come now, Dume," Orochi laughed. "You were there when it happened! Don't tell me you don't KNOW what we're here for."

Dume narrowed his eyes. Whenua and Nuju exchanged a nervous glance. "Anyone who seeks that artifact already doesn't deserve it," he answered with a tone that sent shivers down the Toa Metru's spines.

"Not unless we find it, in which case we deserve it plenty," Orochi said.

"One other person has already approached me for permission to search for it, and you're well aware of his fate, I'm sure."

There was a sudden shift in Orochi's eyes and body language. Everything about her seemed darker, and her tone was far more serious. "Oh yes, I'm perfectly aware of what happened to him," she said curtly. "And it had nothing to do with ARCH."

"Didn't it, now?" Dume said, raising his eyebrows skeptically.

A dangerous smile crossed Orochi's face. "It didn't, Dume. I assure you." She leaned back into the seat and resumed her previous composure. "Look, I'm not asking you to excavate the whole Archives or something. All I need is some time here to look around to make sure he didn't miss anything the last time he was here, before that pretty boy of yours kicked us out."

"No being is capable or deserving of that kind of power," Dume said sternly. "Even Mata Nui himself would not dare try to control such an object."

"Funny, that's exactly what that idiot kid of yours said - what a douche, thinking that he's a leader so he's no longer a rookie n' all, so full of himself. What was his name again…ah, Lhikan, wasn't it?"

A surge of rage shot through Vakama when he heard Orochi's insult. "Lhikan was an honorable Toa," Dume said, his voice mirroring Vakama's thoughts. "Unlike you."

Orochi raised her hands in mock surrender. "Hey, I did what I had to. Lhikan and his heroic little team sure weren't keen on helping out those who REALLY needed it."

"You had it coming."

"Sure we did. We all have it coming, and so do you and me and your pathetic team here. And, of course, mister 'hero' Lhikan; the only person more useless than him would've been the guy that made HIM Toa is the first place."

"Stop it," Vakama heard himself say. Everyone's eyes were on him now; Orochi's held vague amusement at first, then she burst out laughing.

"Oh, I get it now! YOU'RE his successors, aren't you, no wonder you're all so fired up." The black-and-white Toa turned to face Dume. "Alright, look, as lovely as this discussion has been, I think I'd like an answer now. And there's no use threatening me, because this team's got as much experience as a Kanohi Dragon does snowboarding. Now I'm here to find that artifact, and I WILL find it, and life will be a lot easier for you if you just let me do it and get outta here."

Dume eyed Orochi for the longest time. Then he finally said softly, "He did a good job on you, didn't he?"

Another smile crossed the Toa's face. "You can't even imagine."

The Turaga sighed, then looked up at the two Toa. "One year. That's all you get. So you better find it before I decide to call in reinforcements." Dume then left the room without another word.

"Ah, charming as ever, that Dume," Orochi sighed, getting up from her seat. "The Hunters shall sing the day that old hermit finally comes out of his shell. Now," she continued, turning to Vakama, "weren't you showing me where the guest rooms were?"

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Nokama had no idea how late it was now. Or how early. She and Whenua had decided to accompany Vakama and the other two Toa to the guest rooms in case another scuffle broke out. She couldn't help but wonder about the fact that Orochi had done all the talking, while Kami had simply stood at the side, not saying a word. What is because he had confidence in what his partner had to say? Or was it because he was too timid to speak his own mind?

They had reached the room and Orochi said something to Vakama that obviously surprised him before entering the room. Kami was about to follow, then suddenly turned around and spoke.

"Listen…I'm sure Lhikan is just as honorable as you know him to be, but all Toa have a time when they're the most flawed, and when Orochi met him Lhikan was…well…those weren't the best years of his leadership. I know Orochi may seem a bit gruff with her words at times, but that's just the way she's come to work. We don't want to be enemies; please understand that." The ebony Toa gave a brief smile before entering the room and closing the door. Nokama was startled at the resemblance between his smile and that of the Toa Metru of Fire's.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Vakama knew he should be getting some sleep now, but after what Orochi just told him he was wide awake. 'Could it be possible…?' he wondered. 'Could it really be possible…?'

Suddenly the thought hit him and he sat bolt-upright.


End file.
